Author: Zoe Zbar

My name is Zoe and I'm a 22-year-old student at the University of South Florida. Join me as I document my journey through life. I'll write the good, the bad, the ugly, the pretty, the funny, the sad, and everything in between. Don't be afraid to let me know what you think. Enjoy!

These are hard times for everybody. We all have lost or are going to lose something. It almost feels selfish to be writing this; but I’m gonna do it anyway. Because although some people have it much worse in the pandemic called the coronavirus and COVID-19, and I recognize that completely, 2020 college seniors have been dealt a pretty sucky hand from life’s deck of cards.

A man and a woman both 82-years-young. Wednesday morning was
always a tradition for them. They arise from their very old bed in their very
old Exeter cottage that used to be full of life, laughter, craziness and love. A
family of five comprised of them, two boys and one girl. Now scattered across
the world. Distracted by their own hectic lives but still manage to call every
week and visit for holidays.

This couple, call them Mary and James Waterstones, had their
first date at a bookstore coffee shop. A gloomy day, like today, 64 years ago. It
wasn’t like any other first date, though.

This one was different. Conversation flowed like the River
Exe. Eyes locked like keys on Paris’ Passerelle des Arts. Laughs filled the air
loud as Big Ben’s hourly roar. The potential of love turned their faces red and
blotchy.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have the normal connotations anymore. It doesn’t mean red hearts and love. It doesn’t mean going out with friends or significant others and celebrating relationships. It all changed last year. No one had a say in giving up this day of love every year for the rest of our lives. It just happened that way.

Mental health. The forbidden fruit of conversations. It might sound like taboo to some but to others, mental health issues control their whole lives. For me, it’s like the elephant in all rooms I enter. I’ve had my ups and downs, but I’ve learned to always prioritize my mentality. While traveling and being constantly distracted, it gets pushed to the back. Until it weasels it’s way back to the front.

I’m officially one week into my six-month study abroad experience. Here’s a little background about my situation: I’m a third-year at the University of South Florida partaking in an exchange program at the University of Exeter, about three hour southwest of London, England. Business marketing is my major and I’m taking some very interesting classes here in the UK.

Global Environmental Issues, International Business, Behavior, Decisions and Markets, and Economics of Management Strategy. Stay tuned for a post addressing the differences between classes in the UK versus the US. From curriculum to the professor and classroom experience, it’s been a pretty cool ride so far.

Now let’s get into the more interesting stuff: life in Exeter. Being here only eight days, I must say I’m on a British high. The culture, the accents, the food, the people, the weather, everything. My only complaint is the HILLS! This Florida-born-and-raised chick is adjusting slowly but surely to these 75-degree angels.

From toxic red tide to turning the Sunshine State solar, the environment is one of the most important issues driving people’s decisions this election season.

The two candidates running for governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis (R) and Andrew Gillum (D), agree that the environment needs to be addressed. But they disagree on how to make these improvements and where to focus their energy and budgets.